LEIPZIG, June 18  The memories of the greatest night in France's soccer history are receding faster than Zinedine Zidane's hairline.

Nearly eight years on from a glorious World Cup final when they beat Brazil 3-0 at the Stade de France in Paris with Zidane scoring twice, the French are struggling to build a future as glorious as the days they are leaving behind.

That is not just their long-term future either -- it is short-term too because, after allowing South Korea to score nine minutes from time in this Group G match to force a 1-1 draw, their immediate World Cup future is far from assured.

Zidane may already, after the events at the Zentralstadion, be consigned to the history books.

Booked just before the end for a thoughtless shove on a Korean defender moments after Thierry Henry fluffed a chance that might have won the match, Zidane will be suspended for France's last group match against Togo next Friday.

If the French fail to win that match they will almost certainly be out of the tournament and Zidane's wonderful, brilliant career will be over.

He has already announced his retirement and has played his last club match, having said goodbye to the Real Madrid fans who saw him at his best. The embers on his illustrious international career are also just flickering in the breeze now.

There is no longer enough energy, force or power for him to go into the long night of retirement leaving a golden glow behind because Zidane, who has come back from international retirement once to boost France's ailing World Cup qualification challenge, has just gone on a little too long.

Coaches often say there is no room for sentiment in football and certainly not at the highest level but coach Raymond Domenech might have allowed a little to cloud his decision to include old faithfuls and not put his trust in younger players.

Zidane no longer moves like he used to, no longer creates space for himself in that unique, magical way that only he has ever done.

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